Providence (Dragon Quest VII)
Providence is an island southwest of Estard Island. History Providence has long been in isolation from the rest of the world. One day a priest washes on their shores, body bloodied and clothes torn. In his hand was the Goddess Statue, a golden statue of a goddess. The people of Providence took him in with open arms. One day, monsters, disguised as soldiers from Rucker come to attack Providence. The people of Providence have fended them off as much as possible, helped by the Goddess Statue. The citizens believe that Rucker has come to take the Goddess Statue. Past The party enters the island of Providence through the warp. They cross a bridge that separates the warp from the town of Providence. One citizen of Providence near the bridge spots the party and wonders if they are soldiers from Rucker. The party enters Providence. There, they are accosted by two members of the village, wondering if they are members of the Rucker army. When the party expresses confusion, the duo let them enter the town, telling them that when they have finished their business to leave. The party explore the town, heading into a cave. The cave leads to a mountain church. Inside the temple, they see Abraham, the town's elder talking with his son, Caleb, and the priest. Abraham wants a peaceful negotiation with the Rucker forces. However, Caleb blames the Goddess Statue for all of Providence's troubles. Impulsively, he goes to the shrine to take the Goddess Statue and heads to the bridge. The party follow him. When Caleb and the party reach the bridge, they see the Rucker forces lining up on the bridge. The captain tells Caleb to surrender. However, Caleb figures that the foreign army is after the Goddess Statue. He throws the Goddess Statue into the air and breaks it into pieces. The captain is shocked at the action, but then is overjoyed. He tells Caleb that part of the reason he came to Providence was to destroy that statue, but now that he did it for him, there is nothing protecting the town. He reveals his true form, Skraw. The army reveals that they are nothing but monsters. Under Scraw's orders, the monsters attack Providence. Caleb, realizing that his actions have endangered the town, runs back, the party right behind him. There they find the townspeople fighting the monsters. Caleb and the party head to the mountain church. There, Caleb explains what had just transpired to the priest. The priest leads Caleb and the party into a cellar in the mountain hut and locks the door. He says that the monsters are actually after him and so he has decided to face the monsters alone. He is killed by the monsters. The next morning, Caleb and the party open the cellar to see the temple destroyed. As they head back to the town, they notice that the townspeople has had their souls stolen. As Caleb is overlooking the destruction caused by the monsters, he drops a chest that he picked up from the cellar. In it is a scroll containing the relief of a wounded goddess healing herself in the spring. The party gets the idea to collect the pieces of the Goddess Statue that Caleb broke. They return to the bridge where the pieces are scattered. Collecting them, they head towards the spring behind the church. Before they can restore the statue, Scraw appears. He commends the late priest for anticipating this event. However, he refuses to allow the party to restore the statue. He engages the party in a fight. The party fight a losing battle. However, Caleb enters the spring and helps them restore the Goddess Statue. When it is in the spring, the statue is restored to its original self. The power of the Goddess Statue weakens Scraw to the point where he is no match for the party, who defeats him. With his last breath, he destroys the Goddess Statue. Caleb thanks the party for defeating Scraw. As he bemoans the fate of the village, Sir Mervyn tells him to be quiet and listen. There is something going on outside the spring. Everyone goes to investigate and sees that all of the souls that were stolen are returning to their bodies. Caleb thanks the party and he returns to the village. Everyone is overjoyed that the monsters are gone, but are saddened by the death of the priest. They promise to remember the actions of the priest forever. Present In the present, Providence has had an explosion in population. Children outnumber the adults. Also, the citizens of the town have been living longer, so there is an increase in senior citizens as well. The church has been rebuilt and Abraham and Caleb's descendants serve as Priests there. Landmarks *'Providence' - The Town *'Providence Bridge' - The bridge that separates Providence from Aeolus Vale. *'Mountain Church' - The church of Providence. There is a spring behind the church that is used for rituals. Notable Residents *'Vogograd Priest - '''A priest formerly from Vogograd. He has amnesia. *'Abraham''' - The village elder *'Caleb' - The son of Abraham. He is an impulsive man. Other languages Category:Dragon Quest VII locations